Arrest in teen's '94 murder

February 20, 2001|By FRANK MICHELS

Czinki was arrested Tuesday morning at the Saginaw Correctional Facility, a state prison, by Det. Sgt. Kevin Day, chief investigator in the case, of the Michigan State Police in Gaylord. Czinki had been serving a 40- to 60-month sentence on an unrelated charge of receiving and concealing stolen property for which he was sentenced in 46th Trial Court Circuit Division on June 10, 1996 by Judge Dennis Murphy. His first opportunity for parole on that charge would have been Oct. 1, 2002, according to state Dept. of Corrections officials.

Otsego County Prosecutor Kevin Hesselink said Tuesday the case against Czinki is "completely circumstantial." Hesselink said investigators have been methodically following up on every lead and it was time to charge Czinki or "cut bait."

"We've built a strong circumstantial case and believe we can persuade a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Katheryn Horn was murdered by David Czinki," Hesselink said in a press conference in the Gaylord City Council Chambers Tuesday afternoon.

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Nearly two years after her disappearance, Horn's body was discovered by mushroom hunters on May 18, 1996 in a rugged and remote area of Charlevoix County about 20 miles northwest of Gaylord. About 10 days earlier mushroom hunters just north of Huffman Lake Road near Berrywine Road in Otsego County had discovered articles of clothing as belonging to Horn. Her body, identified through dental records, was found about six miles west of where the clothing was found.

Hesselink said the medical examiner could not determine the exact cause of death, but ruled the death a homicide. Day has said because of the way the body was lying, authorities determined she was already dead when she was dumped in the woods. He has also said investigators were certain she died from "homicidal means."

The discovery of Horn's body prompted investigators to obtain a search warrant for Czinki's van, however, no evidence of a homicide was found. Czinki had lived in the Huffman Lake area in the general vicinity of where Horn's body was found.

Horn disappeared on Sept. 24, 1994, reportedly after Czinki had given her and three of her friends a ride from Gaylord to Mancelona. Horn and her friends had been at a coffee house in Gaylord where they solicited a ride from Czinki to Mancelona.

The three friends were dropped off in Mancelona at about 2 a.m., however, Horn allegedly remained in Czinki's van to continue on to Traverse City, friends told investigators. That was the last time the Traverse City 10th grader was seen alive.

Friends and relatives, spearheaded by Horn's mother Janice Rott, searched for the teenager for months following her disappearance to no avail.

"The last time I saw Kathy I told her to be good and to stay out of trouble and that I love you. She said 'Don't worry, Mom, I can take care of myself. Apparently she couldn't," Rott said at Tuesday's press conference.

Rott said her life since Horn's disappearance has been like "walking on hot coals with no water for my feet; like torture through hell."

Rott described her daughter as "fun-loving and always out to help the underdog. And she was sassy at times…She loved me and had a beautiful smile. Everyone loved Kathy."

Following Horn's death, Rott became instrumental in creating the Michigan Missing Children's Network in Port Huron, where she now resides.

Hesselink said that in addition to the charge of murder, Czinki is also charged with being an habitual offender. Czinki is lodged in the Otsego County Jail without bond. The court agreed to appoint an attorney to represent the Corwith Township man.

He said while items of evidence were found in Antrim, Charlevoix and Otsego counties, a state Attorney General's opinion indicated the proper venue for charging Czinki was Otsego County.